BISMARCK, ND — Dr. Jo Markette and René Ramún Rosales have been named to administrative positions in the Arizona State University (ASU)-University of Mary program, which will debut in fall 2012 at the All Saints Newman Center, adjacent to the ASU Tempe, AZ, campus. Markette has been appointed coordinator of University of Mary-Arizona programs, and René, undergraduate advisor/recruiter.
As program coordinator, Markette will oversee the theology and Catholic studies programs offered through the new partnership, ensuring academic quality and consistency with the Christian, Catholic and Benedictine mission of the University of Mary. In addition to directing recruitment and marketing strategies for U-Mary programs in Phoenix, she will serve as a key liaison with the academic schools of the University of Mary, ASU, the Diocese of Phoenix, the Newman Center, and existing and potential corporate partners. She also will be a member of the theology faculty.
In the position of advisor/recruiter, Rosales will provide ongoing assistance and support to undergraduate students in the ASU-U-Mary program. Carrying forward the University of Mary’s distinctive commitment to addressing each student’s individual needs, he will advise students on their academic plans and goals and guide them through programs and services designed to promote their success.
“We are pleased to welcome these outstanding and highly qualified individuals to this exciting new educational endeavor, as we expand the vision of our founders and sponsors, the Benedictine Sisters of the Annunciation, in service to the people of the Phoenix area,” said Dr. Diane Fladeland, University of Mary vice president for Academic Affairs. “We are confident that they will be a valuable resource in helping to shape and grow this unique academic venture.”
In this unprecedented collaboration, the University of Mary, a Christian, Catholic and Benedictine university of more than 3,100 students in Bismarck, ND, will partner with ASU, America’s largest public research university to bring course work in theological studies and Catholic studies to the Phoenix metro area.
Beginning this fall, ASU students will have the opportunity to major, minor or take individual courses in theological studies or Catholic studies from U-Mary at the All Saints Newman Center in Tempe, as a complement to their ASU degree, and earn a U-Mary degree or credential, if desired. Information concerning the new program is available at https://www.umary.edu/asu or call (888) 998-6279/(888) 99u-mary.
Catholics Matter 79: Fr. James Shea, University of Mary from Diocese of Phoenix on Vimeo.
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Dr. Jo Markette has 20 years of experience as an instructor in secondary public education as well as five years of experience as an instructor in Catholic higher education. Most recently a high school English teacher for Arizona’s Chandler Unified School District and a member of the adjunct faculty at DeSales University, she also has been a member of Immaculata University’s adjunct faculty. Markette holds a Doctor of Education in organizational leadership from Grand Canyon University (GCU), a Master of Arts in religious studies/moral theology from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, a Master of Arts in theatre from Villanova University, and a Bachelor of Science in English education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Most recently, she earned recognition from the Arizona School Administrators (ASA) as Outstanding Doctoral Student for her dissertation. She has a Mandatum granted by Archbishop of Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali and she currently sits on the board of directors for the Aid to Women Center (Arizona) and is a past board member for Southeastern Pro Life Union and A Baby’s Breath Crisis Pregnancy Center (Pennsylvania). She is also a lector at All Saints Catholic Newman Center, where she and her husband are parishioners.
René Ramún Rosales has extensive experience working with students to further their education. An Arizona State University (ASU) alumna, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chicano/Chicana Studies in 2008 and worked for 3 ½ years as an academic advisor at Grand Canyon University (GCU), prior to his ASU-U-Mary appointment. In addition to working in ASU’s Office of Public Affairs, while a student he served as a facilitator for two summers at the Cesar E. Chavez Leadership Institute in Tempe, AZ. He also was a page in the U.S. House of Representatives from July 2002 through June 2003. An energetic professional with a strong background in community relations, he has done extensive volunteer work in educational and faith-based communities. He is president of the Pendergast Elementary School Board and received the GCU Outstanding Service Award (2011) and the GCU Leadership Summit Award (2009).
